City News, OREGON NEWS

Earthquake gives Salem a wakeup call in action felt throughout the Willamette Valley

An earthquake centered south of the rural Willamette Valley community of Lacomb hit at 5:52 a.m. Friday, felt from Portland to Cottage Grove.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.4 magnitude earthquake was centered about nine miles southeast of Lacomb, an unincorporated community of about 700 people.

At such a magnitude, there typically is only minor damage but such a quake is often felt.

The Geological Survey said the magntitude “was jusat below the threshold for cell phone alerts to be delivered.”

Oregonians reported what they felt in posts to the Geological Survey’s tweet about the earthquake:

•”Knocked our toaster off our fridge in Lebanon.”

•”In Corvallis and felt it!”

•”Felt it in Happy Valley – sitting on my bed and it started shaking.”

•”I’m in Lebanon, it woke the whole house, pictures knocked off the walls.”

HELP US REPORT: What did you feel or see? Send an email to Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected].

This story will be updated

Les Zaitz is editor and CEO of Salem Reporter. He co-founded the news organization in 2018. He has been a journalist in Oregon for nearly 50 years in both daily and community newspapers and digital news services. He is nationally recognized for his commitment to local journalism. He also is editor and publisher of the Malheur Enterprise in Vale, Oregon.